Telephone-exchange system.



No.693,890. Patented Feb. 25, |902.

w. s.,.w\cAy TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEM.

(Application filed Mar. 15, 1901.1

Patented Feb. 25,l |92.

z'sneexs-snm 2.

. S. PACA.

(Application led Mur. 15, 1901.)

TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEM..

. (No Modem' @Cf/Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. PACA, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTIIS TO PETER Il. ADAMS AND JOHN Z. MILLER, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

TELEPHONE-EXCHANGE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 693,890, dated February 25, 1902.

Application filed March 15, 1901. Serial No. 51 ,262- V(No model.) l

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. PACA., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone-Exchange Systems; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in telephone-exchange systems; and it consists, substantially, in the combination of mechanism hereinafter set forth and described whereby an auxilary switchboard is so combined and arranged with relation to a multiple switchboard that the operation of the drop 'mechanism is visible from both the main and auxiliary boards and the operators at both boards can observe and answer calls from any subscriber connected with the main switchboard.

In multiple switchboards as now construct- `ed the jacks for connecting subscribers are Iarranged in sections thereon, and at each section an operator is stationed who answers the calls from and makes the connections for the subscribers whose lines terminate in such section, and necessarily during certain portions lof the day the operators at many sections of the switchboard have great difficulty in answering the calls thereto promptly, as at such times there are frequently many calls made substantiallysimultaneously,and as theoperator must answer them one at a time the answers to some of the calls are considerably delayed, and to overcome this difficulty it is frequentlynecessary to greatly decrease the number of connections in particular sections of the board, as the calls at such sections of the board d-uring the busy portions of the day are so frequent that the operators thereat cannot answer them, and frequently itis also necessary to place two operators at each of such sections to overcome thisdifculty. I entirely overcome these difficulties bymeans'of an auxiliary switchboard which is so connected up tothe main switchboard that one or two operators at the auxiliary board can at any time promptly assist the operators at busy sections 'of the main' switchboard, so as to relieve any difficulty in promptly answering calls thereto. This I do by providing an auxiliary switchboard, to which all the line and signal circuits lead from the multiple switchboard, which is so arranged that an operator sitting at the auxiliary board can observe the drop mechanism of all the circuits connecting with the main switchboard as well'as can the operators at the .main board, so that the operator at the auxiliary board can at once see when two or more calls are made to any section of the main board and at once answer one or more of said calls with the same facility as the operator at that section of the main board can, and when desired-as, for example, at night, when there are comparatively few calls--one or two operators at the auxiliary board can promptly answer all calls coming into the exchange. The construction and arrangement of the telephone exchange mechanism by means of which these results are accomplished in what is known as a local-battery and magnetocall telephone-exchange system is hereinafter set forth and described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a transverse section of a telephone-exchange mechanism embodying my invention'. Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically the drop, signal-light, and switchboard connections for the main and auxiliary switchboard.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, Ais a main multiple switchboard, B the auxiliary switchboard, O the drop-board, D the distributing'- board, E the cable-terminal board, and F a test-table, of which the parts D E F are of usual construction and further reference thereto is unnecessary. The main switchboard A is provided with the usual jacks'J, divided into sections and connected with circuits in the bank of cables A in the' usual manner. Each section is also provided with operators signal-lights, local-battery and signal circuits, and other mechanism usual in switchboards of the type used in local-battery and magneto-call telephone-exchange systems. The drop-board O is preferably arranged above the main switchboard, so that all parts thereof can be readily seen by the operators at both the main switchboard and at the auxiliary switchboard, hereinafter described, and the numbers on the drops c are madelarge enough to be readily distinguished from each other. The auxiliary switchboard B is located, preferably, in front of and about the center, longitudinally, of the main switchboard and has the usual jack-sections thereon, so located that they can be readily reached by one or two operators. The jacks J thereon are connected to circuits in the bank of cables B' therein, which lead into the main switchboard A and connect with the circuits in the bank of cables A therein. The auxiliary switchboard is also provided with operators signal mechanism, operators plugs K, and connecting-cords K', and circuits connecting same with the subscribers signal and battery circuits at the main switchboard, as hereinafter more fully described.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings I show, diagrammatically, metallic circuits 1 l', 2 2', and 3 3', leading from the subscribers telephone apparatus into a telephone exchange multiple switchboard, and jacks J 4, J 5, J 6, J 7, J 8, and J 9, one pair of which represents each of six sections of a multiple switchboard. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 show in like manner drop mechanism in circuit with subscribers lines, and l0', 11', 12', 13', 14', and 15' show in like manner switches operated by the drop-shutters in the usual manner, so as to close the circuits of the lamp -relays 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 between the lines 25 and 33, leading to and from battery 22, and thus operate the signallamps 16', 17', 18', 19', 20', and 21', which are in circuit with the battery 22. In the drawings I show, diagrammatically, enough circuits,drop mechanisms, jacks, dac., to illustrate a switchboard system of the usual multiple type embodying my invention, it being well understood that in the practical construction of such a switchboard mechanisma considerable number of jacks would be connected with each subscribers circuit, as there would be a jack for each circuit upon each section of the switchboard. These parts are all of the usual and ordinary construction and operation in multiple switchboards of the type kno-wn as local-battery and magtherefore further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

In the diagrammatic view shown in Fig. .2 for convenience Ishow subscribers lines 1 1',`

2 2', and 3 3' extending through the main" switch 28, adapted to be closed to cut out the lines 23 and 24, leading to relay 27, when desired. The signal-lamp 29 at the auxiliary board is also connected by lines 30 and 3l with the lamp-circuit 32 and 33, leading from the office-battery 22 to the vsignal-lamps 16' duc., at the main switchboard A.

It Willbe readily understood that in the construction and arrangement of circuits herein shown and described I have shown and described a combination and arrangement of a main multiple switchboard and an auxiliary switchboardand circuits adapted to be used therewith in exchanges where the drop mechanism is so located as to be visible to the operators at both boards, so that the operators at both boards can answer subscribers calls with equal facility, and that l have herein described a type of what is known as a localbattery and magneto-call telephone-exchange system in which my invention can be utilized. I do not desire, however, to limit myself to the use of this system, as I can readily use any type of local-battery and magnetocall system in the construction and operation of my invention, as my invention consists not in the particular system used, but in the combination of an auxiliary switchboard with a main multiple switchboard in such manner that the operator at the auxiliary board can assist one or more operators at busy sections on the main switchboard and answer calls thereto with the same facility as can the op erator at the main board without in any manner disturbing or inconveniencing the operators at the main board.

Therefore, having described my invention,

so as to enable others to construct and use thei same,whatI claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States, is-- 1. In a telephone-exchange system,the combination of a main multiple switchboard, drop mechanism above the jack mechanism of said `switchboard subscriberscircuits andsi nalcircuits leading into the main switchboard and drop mechanism, an auxiliary switchboard,` and circuits connecting the subscribers and signal circuits at the main switchboard and `drop mechanism with the auxiliary switchboard, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. neto-call telephone-exchange systems, and

2. In a telephone-exchange system,the combination of a main multiple switchboard, a drop mechanism above the main switchboard, subscribers circuits and signal-circuits leading into the drop mechanism and into the main switchboard, an auxiliary switchboard, and circuits connecting the subscribers circuits and the signalcircuits at the main switchboard with the auxiliary switchboard, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a telephone-exchange system,the combination .of a main multiple switchboard, a drop mechanism above the main switchboard, subscribers circuits and signal-circuits leading into the drop mechanism and into the main switchboard, an auxiliary switchboard,

'and circuits connecting the subscribers circuits and the drop and signal circuits at the main switchboard with the auxiliary switchboard, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. Inatelephone-exchangesystem,thecombination of a main multiple switchboard, a drop-board mechanism at the rear of and above the main switchboard, subscribers circuits leading into the drop-board and main switchboard, signal-circuits and battery-circuit connected therewith,an auxiliary switchboard in front of the main'switchbo'ard, and circuits leading from the drop-board, the sig-A nal, the battery and the subscribers circuits at the main switchboard, into said auxiliary switchboard, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.- Y WILLIAM S. PACA Witnesses:

H. J. CURTZE, I-I. M. STURGEON. 

